How we do it
Overall, Brigstowe's aim is to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV in the West of England. To achieve this, we do three main things:
- We provide the services outlined on the 'What we do' page.
- We work closely with individuals and other organisations to understand how the needs and hopes of people with HIV are changing - by sharing experiences and learning from each other.
- We try to make sure our organisation is strong and stable, and ensure it has the funding and other resources it needs for the future, so people can depend on it.
Our core values
The Brigstowe Project is guided by a set of core values that links everything we do with the rights and opportunities we help our clients realise. These values are the basis of our organisational culture which encompasses staff, committee members and volunteers.
These values are:
Open-mindedness
We are non-judgemental because we believe everyone has the right to live a life free from stigma, prejudice, and discrimination.
Independence
We treat people as individuals because we believe in abilities not disabilities, and that everyone has the right to use impartial, appropriate and personalised support and advice services.
Confidentiality
We respect and protect our clients' right to choose if and when to disclose their health status because we believe everyone should have a safe environment in which to express themselves without fear.
Supportiveness
We aim to help people utilise their strengths and overcome their weaknesses because we believe that everyone has the right and ability to make a positive contribution to their local cultural, ethnic or religious community.
These values mean that we also seek to promote the participation of our clients in the design, delivery and development of our work. This is in order to ensure effective, value-for-money services while at the same time maintaining high standards. The outcomes we help our clients achieve are at the heart of all we do, as this illustration of our basic process shows.
Who do we work with?
As a small organisation, we cannot do everything ourselves. So we work with a range of partners - Government, businesses and charities - to give individuals a comprehensive and personalised package of support.
These partners include:
- North Somerset Council
- Bristol City Council
- South Gloucestershire Council
- Southmead Hospital HIV team
- Terrence Higgins Trust (THT)
- The Regional HIV Forum for Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset
- Welfare Advice Partnership - South Gloucestershire
- Advice Centres for Avon (ACFA)
- Bristol Supported Housing Forum
- The Care Forum
Our Business Plan
For a summary of our business plan, please click HERE.(Acrobat Reader required)
